Tokyo Lens

The Shamisen Maker and Me - 1 Year Later

Added 2020-02-12 03:56:25 +0000 UTC

Almost exactly one year ago, this gentleman built me a custom shamisen.

While on YouTube, it was just a short series of three or so videos, this was a major stepping point in my life.

Getting the approval to upgrade it to a new Shamisen from the Yoshida Brothers, was basically like getting a clear acknowledgment hat they felt my progress and future with the instrument were something worth investing in.

And even though a full year has passed, the excitement from this moment still sits with me today.

This man, Mr. Komatsu,

Is the man who built that shamisen.

As I was leaving his workshop, he asked me to practice hard so that someday I could play a song for him on this new instrument he had built.

Little did I know that I would have this opportunity much sooner than expected. A few short months after having it built I performed at an event out in Odaiba. He happened to be there.

But it was far too soon.

You see, it takes about a year for the shamisen to come in to its true sound. When freshly made, the sound is a little harsh and almost metallic.

And as for the player, it takes at least a year to be able to feel the new instrument.

In the past couple of months, I’ve really started to feel this new instrument as if it were part of me

And so I felt it time to invite Mr. Komatsu over and play for him.

No fancy video

No recordings

Just the shamisen player and the man who built the instrument.

As I finished playing and looked up

He had a gentle smile on his face, and said

“You’ve really taken to it. And it sounds amazing”

That’s all he said. I thanked him.

I feel like so much of the past year has led up to that moment. Wanting to improve my skill with this particular instrument to the point where I could play for him, was always in the back of my mind. I genuinely feel like I can attribute much of my growth in the past year, to setting this as a goal.

No special meanings or deeper messages here. Just a moment that I wanted to share just with you guys for now.

I hope your day is beautiful.